Means for engaging and driving rotated workpieces



Nov. 27, 1951 E. R. SMITH 2,575,704

' MEANS FOR ENGAGING AND DRIVING ROTATED woRKPIEcEs Filed March 19, 1949 2 SHEETS- SHEET i fsf' oz l N O s lq s LS? Il 9 9 H e 3 r/ o N s H ||1 5 a l Im` JNVENTOR.

l u 11| w Edwin @.mz'ih 9 lBY E. R. SMITH Nov. 27, 1951 MEANS FOR ENGAGING AND DRIVING ROTATED WORKPIECES 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. HWI-7 Je. Sm-m 12W @Tx/feng Patented Nov. 27, 1951 MEANS FOR ENGAGING AND DRIVING Y ROTATED WORKPIECES Edwin R. Smith, Seneca Falls, N. Y., Vassignor, to v Seneca Falls Machine Company, Seneca Falls, N. Y., a, corporation of Massachusetts Application March 19, 1949, Serial No. 82,423

4 Claims. 1

This inventionrelates to means for engaging and driving work pieces which are rotatably supported at the driving end on a live center.

It is customary to provide a dog and face plate for driving such work pieces, but considerable time is wasted in applying and removing the dogs, and it is also impossible to operate over the entire peripheral surface of such a work piece without shifting the dog and reversing the work. It is the general object of my invention to provide an improved and simpliiied means for effecting driving engagement with an end surface of a rotated work piece, while leaving the peripheral surface thereof entirely unobstructed.

To the accomplishment of this general object, the invention contemplates the provision of a plurality of driving members engageable with an end surface of the work, together with effective means to force said members into said end surface and to retain said members rmly in driving engagement therewith.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a work-driving spindle embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation corresponding to the right-hand end portion of Fig. 1, but with the parts in driving position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation corresponding to the left-hand end portion of Fig. 1 but with certain parts returned to engaging position;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the spindle, looking in the direction of the arrow 4 in Fig. 1;

y Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the driving members; and

Fig. 6 is an end View thereof.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown a work spindle I which may be mounted in any suitable bearings Il and I2. A ring I4 (Fig. 2) is mounted on the flanged outer end l oi the spindle ID, and aV driving plate I6 is clamped to the ring i4 and is accurately centered thereby.

A live center C is mounted in the driving plate I6 and receives a center hold in the end of the work piece W. The other end of the work piece is to be positioned and supported by a tail center or in any other usual manner.

The driving plate I6 supports a pluralityvof cylindrical driving members (Figs. 5 and 6) .which are preferably. Qf.. hardened steel and which are each provided with a hardened point or driving projection 22 and with a short longitudinal keyway 24. These members 2li may desirably have radially-aligned chisel points and are freely slidable in passages 26 in the plate l5, and they may be held from rotation in the passages 26 by set-screws 2l extending into the keyways 24.

At their inner ends, the members 20 have reduced projecting portions 30 which engage an annular curved surface 3| on a swivel collar 32. This collar has a swivel bearing on a segmental llange 33 formed on a short plunger 34, the outer end of which is slidable in a recess 35 in the driving plate I6. The inner end of the plunger 34 is slidable in a bearing sleeve 3l secured in the outer end of the work spindle I0.

Suitable pressure means holds the points 22 of the members 2|) against the work. Such pressure means may comprise a relatively heavy spring 38 interposed between the end of the bearing sleeve 3l and the flange 33 on the plunger 34. A plurality of relatively light springs 40 may also be interposed between the outer end of the work spindle IU and the swivel collar 32. The springs 38 and 40 act to maintain constant pressure on the driving members 20 and the driving points 22.

A hammer rod is mounted to slide freely axially in the spindle l0 when pressure is applied thereto. In the construction shown the rod 45 is provided with an end flange or collar 46 which is engaged by a heavy spring 41. The inner end of the spring is seated against a ring 48 seated in the bottom of a recess 49 in the spindle lll.

A hardened striker 50a is threaded into the outer end of the rod 45 and is positioned to engage the inner end of the plunger 34 which supports the swivel ring 32.

If the hammer rod 45 is withdrawn to the left, as shown in Fig. 1, and is then released, the rod will advance abruptly to the position shown in Fig. 2, and a sharp blow will be transmitted from the hammer rod 45 through the striker 50, plunger 34, and swivel collar 32 to the inner ends of the members 20. The driving points 22 thereof will thus be iirmly driven against the end oi. the work piece W.

Driving engagement of the work piece is thus effectively achieved. The hammer operation may be repeated tov eiect increased penetration.

The hammer rod 45 may be withdrawn manually but the mechanism herein shown is particularly designed for automatic fluid-pressure operation.

F01 this Purpose .the md; 45 is extended@ the left as shown in Fig. 3, and its reduced end portion 50 is loosely centered in a plate 5I mounted on a sleeve 52 which is clamped to the inner end of the spindle l by a nut 54 (Fig. 3). A second hammer spring 55 may be mounted on the reduced end portion 50 of the rod 45 and is confined between fa shoulder 56 on sai'dTodand .the end bearingplate L Y'The action of the springs 41 and 55 is cumulative.

A conical nut or collar 58 is mounted on the exi treme inner end of the extension-.5Gfoftherodfl and is positioned for engagement by latchesr which are pivoted at 6| in a member 62 slidable in a fixed cylindrical casingfBS. `Arifannularmem ber B4 is also slidable in the casingf63 and'nia-y be secured in adjusted axial position 'by'clam'ping screws G5. The member 64 Ysupportsfafplurality of rolls 61, each positioned for engagement by one of the latches 60. Springs 69 tendtomove the latches 60 to the position shown in Fig. 3.

A ,pistonrrod l1i! is threadedvinto thesliding ymember 62 and its left-'hand'end is connectedto apiston 12 slidablein'a xed cylinder 13. The kpiston V12 is .preferablyy provided vwith oppositely l:disposed cup washers 15` and 15, a clamping cl- `:lar/11, anfadditional cup Lwasher 18,a washer 19,

and a'nutl). Y

VWhen fluidgp'ressureiis.supplied at the righthand side ofithe cylinder13, vasthrough the pipe `82 ('Fi'g. l) `the .-piston112 'and connected lparts will ifbefmoved to btheleft, Aand when 'pressure is ap- 'plied Ito "thel left-hand .side 'of the piston through `ithe pipef84 =('Fig. 1),'the1same parts :will be moved 1 A four-way .control-valve Vis `preferably provided, which ina'y be moved manually :by-.a handle "8E 'to fc'orinect v'either side ofi the cylinder 13 to the pressureispplyand Vthe 'other side tothe exhaust.

Havingxdescribed the y'details fof construction, theirnethod ofoperati'oniisas follows:

Thefwork Apiece isfmounted onthe live 'center 'C andis 'advanced y*by -theftail center (not shown) ftore'ngage the-driving 'points'ZZ and to force the driving members E@ slightly to the left in the drawings, therebyfcompressing the spring 38.

'Ehe-handle '85 is then moved toshiftthe valve V to supply pressure to the right-hand endof vrthe *cylinder 13, thus lmoving thelatches 't'o 'theleft and 'withdraw-ing the hammer lrod 45 'against the ycombined resistance of the springs 41 .and 55.

At a 'certain pointinvthe withdrawing 'movement 'of the latches 560,' the tails of the latches will 'be engaged Vand depressed by the' rollsl'i Vand the hammer `rod 45 will be released to Vdelive'rfa `strong,hamni'ei' blow o"n the drivinginembersl. The driving 'points`2`2 are thus forced-rmlyi-n'to the Vend 'of the 'work 'piece lW, and s'uch 'engagement is maintained by 'th'e relatively heavy springs 41 and55. The force of the 'blow may be regulated by shifting `the vroll-supportingv member 64 toward or away from the latch supportSEfto vary the point 'of Vrelease of thefl'atches.

After the blow has'b'e'en struck, the'latches may ber'eturned to engaging 'position by'reversing 'the valve f'V, and by :againsiliif-tingth'e valve one or more additional?'blowsv may .be 'delivered It is found in actual practice tha't a plurality of Y'drivin-g"points, as'22, which -are thus dri-ven firmly against the end of the work piece and which are continuously maintained in 'Contact therewith, provide rsulicient andeffective driving engagement for rany ordinary turningor grinding operations. Y

l'Having thus described my invention and ft-he advantages thereof, Ifd'c not wish vvto beflim'ited `iixe'd thereon, a plurality o'f separate and cir- Acumferentially-spaced driving lmembers 'mounted in said end member and separately slidable in said I.member axially of said spindle and each having a separate work-indenting end portion, a transmit- -ting member simultaneously engaging all of said slidable` driving membersa hammer rod slidable jin said'spindlapressure means eifective when released to 'advance-said rod to strike a strong blow Vthrcn'i'gh 'said transmitting member against each fof Vsaid separately slidable driving members,

means to Withdraw said rod, and means to thereafter 'release said rod for forward striking movement produced by said pressure means, and said f-pressure means 'being thereafter effective ftohold rthewo'rk-engaging end portionsof said separately slidable "driving members against the workand i-n driving 'engagement therewith.

, 2. Ehe-combination? in work-e'ngagirig-andy driving means as set forth in claim l, in which the withdrawal Y#means includes latches engaging Van enlarged end of 'said hammer rod, and rolls en*- g'aging 'and releasing saidllatchesat a predetermined point inthe withdrawing travel of said latches.

f3. The combination vin Work-engagingand drivring "means asfset forth in claim l, in which the transmitting member has a swivel support by which the `blows on all of the driving "members .ai'eequalized.

74. 'Means for engaging 'and driving a rotated iWork-'piece mounted on "head and tail centers which"eomygirises a workspindle supporting said li've center and having -an `'end member fixed thereon, a plurality of separ'ateandy circumferentially-space'd driving 'members mounted in said endl'merriber and separately ,slidable axially of 'said spindle and ea'chhaving a separate workindenting end portion, a transmitting member simultaneously engaging all of :said separately slidable driving members,V a '-hammerrod slidable in'saidspindle, coaxial ltandem springs rmounted onlsaidhammer rod land c'iiniulatively effective, when released, to advance Vsaid rod to 'strike a strong blow through 'said transmitting member against said separately slidable'drivingmembers, means f'to withdraw said rodV andco'mpress said Springs, and means ft'o "thereafter 'release said rod at Va predetermined pointV fin the withdrawal movement thereof for return forward kstriking movement thereof under the combined pressure of said tandem springs, and said springsbeing 'thereafter effective to hold-the --end portions of said separately slidable driving members against the work and inv driving engagement therewith.

VEDWIN R. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED -Ainswort'h Mar. 2, 1909 vShaw a Feb. 25, 191:3 

